Objective: Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) develop against the structures found in the cell nucleus. These antibodies can
be positive in the autoimmune disorders, but they can be also detected in healthy people. The objective of our study
was to determine the definitive diagnosis of the patients referred to our clinic due to the ANA positivity and find out
whether they develop rheumatologic disorders during the clinical follow-up.
Material and Methods: We have reviewed the medical files of children who were referred to the pediatric rheumatology
department between 2014 and 2016 with ANA positivity.
Results: 43 subjects were enrolled in the study. The complaints of the referred patients at first presentation were
as follows: joint symptoms in 19 patients (44.2%), mucocutaneous symptoms in 13 patients (30.2%), hematological
findings in 6 patients (14%), neurological symptoms in 3 patients (7%), and Raynaud’s phenomenon in 2 patients
(4.6%). 34 patients (79%) had a positive ANA titer ≥ 1/160. The ANA titer level was below 1/160 in 9 patients (21%).
23 patients (53.4%) were diagnosed with a rheumatologic disease, while 20 patients did not have any rheumatologic
disorder. There was no significant difference between the ANA-positive (n=34) and ANA-negative (n=9) patients with
regards to the clinical and laboratory characteristics. The comparison of the patients with and without a rheumatologic
disorder revealed that the presence of auto-antibodies was more common and acute phase reactant levels were higher
in the disease group for arthralgia, arthritis and Raynaud’s phenomenon.
Conclusion: We conclude that ANA testing should preferably be requested in the presence of clinical findings associated
with rheumatologic disorders.
Primary Language | Turkish |
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Subjects | Internal Diseases |
Journal Section | ORIGINAL ARTICLES |
Authors | |
Publication Date | March 21, 2019 |
Submission Date | December 6, 2017 |
Published in Issue | Year 2019 Volume: 13 Issue: 1 |
The publication language of Turkish Journal of Pediatric Disease is English.
Manuscripts submitted to the Turkish Journal of Pediatric Disease will go through a double-blind peer-review process. Each submission will be reviewed by at least two external, independent peer reviewers who are experts in the field, in order to ensure an unbiased evaluation process. The editorial board will invite an external and independent editor to manage the evaluation processes of manuscripts submitted by editors or by the editorial board members of the journal. The Editor in Chief is the final authority in the decision-making process for all submissions. Articles accepted for publication in the Turkish Journal of Pediatrics are put in the order of publication, with at least 10 original articles in each issue, taking into account the acceptance dates. If the articles sent to the reviewers for evaluation are assessed as a senior for publication by the reviewers, the section editor and the editor considering all aspects (originality, high scientific quality and citation potential), it receives publication priority in addition to the articles assigned for the next issue.
The aim of the Turkish Journal of Pediatrics is to publish high-quality original research articles that will contribute to the international literature in the field of general pediatric health and diseases and its sub-branches. It also publishes editorial opinions, letters to the editor, reviews, case reports, book reviews, comments on previously published articles, meeting and conference proceedings, announcements, and biography. In addition to the field of child health and diseases, the journal also includes articles prepared in fields such as surgery, dentistry, public health, nutrition and dietetics, social services, human genetics, basic sciences, psychology, psychiatry, educational sciences, sociology and nursing, provided that they are related to this field. can be published.